“All equations speak, we just have to listen”
The first time I heard this from a teacher I adored, I was blown away. We live in a world that is infinitely more complex than we can comprehend. Against these odds, we puny humans have managed to write simple equations with which we can predict many aspects of our world. I was in love. I could now create a world described by my equations AND get paid when I could make it match the real world!
I will now try to tell you my story, in an attempt to explain my choices, mistakes, and lessons. I hope it is of use to you, if you are treading a similar path.
In case you are pressed for time, let me give you a TLDR:
I really liked physics, but chose electrical engineering to have more options
I heard about the challenge of building a quantum computer (QC), and how it could potentially be useful
I heard there are circuits you can engineer (they are superconducting though) to build QCs, and this was an intersection of all my interests
I constructed my coursework and did research projects aligned with the goal of working on superconducting quantum computers. I learnt a lot, and built my profile.
I went through a crisis of discovering meaning and purpose in the life I was building for myself, and found some satisfactory answers.
Finally, I applied for a PhD, and I’m currently working at Yale with some of the pioneers of superconducting circuit research.
Disclaimer: I have tried to make my statements as scientifically accurate as possible. However, I have refrained from giving you many technical details, as the point of this narrative is to explain my pathway in research. Sometimes, the devil lies in the details. For example, quantum computers are much faster than classical computers (computers based on binary representations and logic gates, like the one you are reading this on). However, this is only for certain niche applications. To know more, please do read about the topics which pique your curiosity!
Why did AIR 40 choose EE, IITM over CS, IITB?
It was pretty surreal to hear about my rank, when the results for JEE 2017 came out. As I’ve already told you, I liked physics. However, I was a teenager who knew I hadn’t seen actual physics. I had only solved a bunch of problems for an exam. I wanted to have options in industry in case my interest in research petered out. So I went around asking people: “What is the branch that you can choose which gives you the most freedom to explore, and also gives you a range of options in placements?”
It was electrical engineering. I also wanted to be near home and have “localite” privileges, so I chose EE, IITM! This was one of the best decisions of my life.
Enter Quantum Computing - an intersection of all my interests
As a fresher at IITM, I wanted to try physics and EE. I went to a physics camp (NIUS, HBCSE, Mumbai) in the summer of my first year. It was there that I first heard of quantum computing (QC). Let me give you a very brief, non-technical description for some context. Quantum physics is a set of rules that VERY accurately describes the world (it’s the best theory we have come up with so far). It becomes apparent only at small scales (small lengths, small energies etc). If the world is quantum, can you create a computer that is also quantum? If so, would it be any better than the computers we already have?
Turns out that the answer is yes (well, terms and conditions apply :P). These computers are shown to solve some problems much faster (Eg: Shor’s algorithm for factoring prime numbers, which can break many existing standards of encryption). There are many other avenues, like quantum chemistry, that might potentially be impacted by such a tool.
But where does electrical engineering come in? After the camp, I was offered a project, and I chose to work on superconductors, and not on QCs. However, the instructor I worked with said to me, “You are an electrical engineer! Why not work on something which is more toward applied physics? Did you know that you can engineer superconducting circuits to build QCs? You should check that out”.
As Leo says in Inception, “An idea is like a virus”. As I learned more, this area of research interested me quite a bit. It was the perfect mix of physics and electrical engineering, which was oriented toward the goal of building a powerful tool. This would potentially have a significant impact on society, and would also ensure a good career. I thought I had discovered my Ikigai.
Over my time at IITM, I discovered that I loved the act of building things (making code work, making circuits work). So I knew with a high likelihood that I would really like the idea of building a quantum computer. Thus, I embarked on this field of research, which I am still working on 4 years later (and potentially more).
For those of you thinking, “This guy is really inspired; he keeps saying he loved physics and all of that”. Let me tell you, the idea of quantum computing is NOT what gets me out of bed in the morning. It is not something that has saved my soul. It is just something that seemed worthy of devoting my energies and efforts to.
Using Coursework as a tool to explore and equip myself
One of the perks of being in EE was that ~50% of the curriculum was free electives. This is another reason why I chose this branch. I jumped at these opportunities and started doing physics courses as early as my 3rd semester. I even managed to squeeze in one physics course in the dreaded 4th semester of EE at IITM. I went on to do ~12 physics courses by the end of my 8th sem.
I was also interested in analog circuit design since the way it was taught at IITM was both intuitive and mathematically rigorous. Thus my coursework was filled with physics, circuits, and electromagnetics. This mirrored my interest in superconducting circuits.
Coursework enabled me to confirm my interests. It also helped me figure out what I did not like. For example, I figured out that theoretical physics (quantum algorithms, advanced statistical physics), was not something I wanted a career in.
What if things didn’t work out? - Exploring Existential Questions
There is a negativity bias in all of us. We think of all the things that could go wrong. This helps you to do good experiments, but does not help you lead a good life if you don’t handle it appropriately. There were various doubts that plagued me throughout my time at IITM. Some of them still hang out in my head.
What if I ended up not liking research? What if the field of quantum computing died? What if it was just a bubble, and people discovered that building quantum computers would be impossible? Or worse, what if they were not as powerful as claimed and end up being expensive toys for scientists? Would my research go to waste? Would I spend 10 (or more) years of a potentially wonderful life chasing a pipe dream?
One of the first good answers I got was from Nobel laureate Venky Ramakrishnan, who gave a talk at Shaastra Spotlight. He was a physicist who decided biology was more suited to him and switched to it after getting a PhD! I asked him if he had second thoughts when he made that decision. His answer was: “In case no one hired me as a biologist, I knew I could always go to Silicon Valley and make a lot of money, since I was one of the few people who was skilled in using computers at that time”.
Even though a PhD meant I would be working in a niche area, I would gain so many skills along the way. I could easily switch fields with some effort. The analog coursework I had gathered would also enable me to get a reasonable job. So, I would not be "on the road without a job", as our parents sometimes say.
As regards my doubts regarding the field of quantum computing, I thought about the following. 60 years ago, nobody thought that we would have extremely powerful computers in our pockets, and that we would be communicating with our loved ones around the globe at a trivial cost. Humanity is extremely inventive with tools. If we did manage to build a quantum computer, it is very likely that people will build hitherto unimaginable things with it. Besides, billions of dollars and hours were being invested by so many researchers and companies. This assured me that I was at least moving in some right direction.
Over time, I have also come to realize that we generate our own sense of meaning. Even if my field of research itself collapsed after a few years, I knew I would have a fulfilled life because I was working on something that was engaging and interesting to me. I would find meaning, as long as I involved myself completely in what I was doing.
Related and Unrelated Research Interns: Quantum AI for COVID to quantum hardware
This section will be a little more technical, where I'll describe my academic journey in IITM. This is to give more context to the thoughts I have already laid out.
Let me give you my main conclusions before I give you more details. My path was not very linear. Though I wanted to work on superconducting circuits, I had to wait two years for a relevant project. In the meanwhile, I gathered experience on many related areas in quantum technology. After each project, I learnt more about my interests.
My timeline was as follows:
1st year summer: I attended a physics camp at HBCSE Mumbai, where I first heard of superconducting circuits
2nd year summer: My project at HBCSE crashed because I did not have guidance, and I didn't have the required technical knowledge yet. It was disappointing, since a whole summer was gone.
3rd year winter: I worked on quantum communication at a startup in Bangalore (QNu Labs) to finish the industrial internship requirement. This told me quantum communication was not a primary interest for me.
3rd year summer: I was supposed to intern at Purdue in an experimental lab. Though this was not in superconducting circuits, it was my approach to figuring out if I liked experimental physics. However, COVID hit, and forced an online project.
3rd year summer and all of fourth year: I worked on COVID diagnosis using image processing on CT scans with Quantum computers. This was an online project with the professor from Purdue. Given that the quantum computers of today are small, it was like trying to kill an elephant with a needle. It was mostly classical deep learning, with quantum computers used to perform simpler tasks at the end of the pipeline. I understood that I wanted to work on building quantum computers, not using them.
All of fourth year: I worked with Prof. Anil Prabhakar at IITM, on a project building Ising Machines. These machines are like quantum computers in the sense that they are non-conventional computers highly specialized at a particular task. This was an experimental project, and involved working in the lab and getting my hands dirty. After the project, I understood enough to know that I would be ok with doing experimental work in my Ph.D.
4th year summer: I worked online with a professor from NTU Singapore. This was a project about Quantum Error Correction (an area I discovered a love for, by doing coursework). Finally, I got to work on superconducting circuits. I was reviewing various ways by which error correction is implemented in this platform. This confirmed that my interest in this field was strong.
5th year (Dual Degree Project - DDP): I did my DDP at TIFR, on the design of a novel superconducting quantum processor. I finally got exactly what I had wanted throughout my undergrad. After working on the project, it indicated to me that I had chosen right. I had chosen a field which I liked reasonably well.
Converting to a dual degree and how it helped
Some of you might be wondering why I converted to a dual degree. The reasons are as follows. Due to COVID, my ability to try experimental physics was restricted. I needed more time. IITM serendipitously introduced an interdisciplinary dual degree in quantum science and technology. This was perfect for me, since I had already done most of the coursework out of my own interest.
Besides this, a dual degree gives you a whole year to do a master's thesis project (DDP). You might even be done with most of your coursework, which gives you much more time for research. IITM allows you to do a DDP even in other institutions, as long as you are co-advised at IITM. You can use this to gain a lot of experience, especially if you want to work in a niche area which doesn't have any researchers in IITM (like superconducting circuits). Doing a dual degree was a very good decision, due to the time it gave me before applying to a PhD.
My application process for a PhD - too picky?
When I was applying for a PhD, I first created a huge table with every researcher I knew in experimental superconducting circuits. I then looked up each of their labs' websites. I then filtered out the ones I wanted to apply to, based on various criteria.
I was biased towards universities in the USA, because PhD programs here allow you to explore various areas for a year and then choose a line of research. However, it takes you a couple of years longer to graduate (5-6 years in total). In Europe, you are hired with some particular research directions in mind. This restricts your scope a little, but allows you to graduate faster. However, these are general patterns I have observed in the labs I looked up. It might be very different for the labs you apply to.
Besides this, just going through the research done in the lab gave me an idea of whether I would tentatively like it. I also made sure I did not apply only to very competitive schools, but also had other schools which are easier to get into. I finally applied to Yale, Princeton, UC Berkeley, MIT, ETH Zurich, U. Chicago, U. Maryland, U. Pittsburgh, and UT Austin.
I made sure I had a backup option in mind. I talked to people in the lab I was working in, and asked if I could continue working there and apply again in case my applications were not successful. I am not detailing the advice I got and general good practices for PhD applications here, and I leave it to another blog post.
Finally, after a month of arduous work of writing my applications, I got interview calls. I was interviewed by UT Austin, Princeton, Yale and ETH Zurich. They discussed my previous research and subsequent plans. I was both humbled and excited by my interview with Prof. Michel Devoret at Yale, since this was the research group I wanted to work with the most.
Finally, I got offers from Yale, Princeton, UT Austin, and U Pittsburgh, and I was invited to subsequent rounds of interviews with ETH. However, I had already chosen Yale at this point. I was thrilled, and I would like to use this platform to thank every single person who helped me get where I am.
My Journey at Yale - the birthplace of Superconducting Quantum Processors
My time at Yale so far has been really good, but also challenging. I'm currently working on novel circuits for performing certain quantum operations which would potentially assist quantum computing, and allow for new error correction schemes.
My work involves many aspects like theory (to model and predict quantum behavior), circuit design and modeling (finite element simulations), fabrication and machining of the device, cryogenic setups, microwave measurements, and data analysis.
On the other hand, a life like this involves living by yourself in a new country. This comes with a higher demand on chores and personal maintenance in general. Cooking yourself a meal and cleaning everything after a long day of failed experiments can test your patience very nicely. I also try to keep up with something outside research. For me, it is music. Overall, it's a hectic life, but if you choose reasonably well, and involve yourself, it can be very engaging.
Some final thoughts
If you have stuck with me for this long, I'm glad! As Steve Jobs said, "You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." Besides this, I really think that the level of contentment you experience in life is determined more by how you live every day. It's not determined by how your distant future might turn out.
So, chart out the path which seems most meaningful to you right now. Walk, and even run along this path, and fight hard against obstacles which impede you. Pay attention to other people on similar paths. Learn from everything. Your path might change multiple times, and that's fine. That probably means you're doing the right thing. There is no "correct" destination, only the fellow travelers, the occasional milestone, and the journey itself.
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